Travel Info
Travelling anywhere in the world requires a certain amount of preparation before you leave home. So here is some helpful information and recommendations to make sure your trip is smooth sailing.
Visas
South Africa welcomes most nationalities with minimum hassle and officials will issue you with a free 90 day visa on entry to the country. If need to apply for a visa, contact the South African embassy prior to your arrival in South Africa to secure it. If this is necessary we are happy to provide you with a letter confirming your booking with us which should facilitate your application.
Insurance
Medical insurance is compulsory for all our trips and we strongly recommend travel insurance for anyone travelling in Africa. Make sure your medical insurance covers you for repatriation and any of the adventure activities you may take part in. There are lots of good and inexpensive insurance packages available. Take a look at the side bar for links to a few that we recommend.
Flights
Part of the beauty of our tours is that we pass four of South Africa’s major airports which have cheap and plentiful internal and international flights, so it’s easy, for example to end your tour in Port Elizabeth and hop straight onto a flight to Johannesburg or Cape Town. There are several airlines in South Africa who offer budget internal flights, their links are in the side bar.
Useful Info
Sleeping Bags
We don’t provide these but it’s worth investing in a decent sleeping bag as although it will be warm by day in most of the places we'll be visiting, it can get quite chilly at night. You can always top it up by buying a locally made blanket to wrap up in.
Pillow
An essential item not only for use at night but also handy for naps on the truck. Forget about the blow-up ones and get yourself a real one once you’re in South Africa, you won't regret it.
Luggage
We recommend that you bring one backpack and one day bag. If you are looking at purchasing a new one, bear in mind that front-opening backpacks make it easier to locate your things.
First Aid Kit
Although we will have a comprehensive First Aid Kit on the truck for emergencies, you need to bring your own basic one too. A basic First Aid Kit should include: Plasters, second skin for blisters, antibiotics, headache tablets, antiseptic cream, bandages and iodine, prescriptions for any medications, glasses or contact lenses, if you need them.
Things to bring
There are very few things that you could bring from home that wouldn’t be freely available in South Africa, so there’s no need to panic if you forget anything, but see below as a rough guide of what you may need aside from normal clothing.
Insect repellent with Deet Suntan Lotion Water-proof jacket Sunhat / Sunglasses Sarongs are excellent for keeping warm, as a towel and for looking island style Head torch - looks a bit geeky but a very handy tool. Camera(s) - obviously up to you but a small digital that hangs around your neck is great for getting those spur of the moment shots. Spare/rechargeable batteries and charger Zip lock bags - for batteries, film, cameras, knickers etc. Binoculars - not a must but a compact pair can be very handy for spotting wildlife. Games - bring along your favourite game. We have a few on board but the more the better. Books - bring as many as you like and swap with other travellers along the way.
Sports Equipment
If you have your own surf board, scuba gear, fishing rod or any other equipment that you want to use during the trip please feel free to bring it (within reason, no jet skis please). Just let us know in advance and we will make sure that we allow storage space for it. If you wish to buy any equipment along the way, that is fine too.
